Seeking Home Comforts In Shelters

For Many, It Is The Best Option

Jesus and Ines Sanmiguel, a retired couple from Sunrise, were stretched out on a full-size bed looking comfortable.

"Just like home,'' said Jesus, laughing as he pointed to the television, radio and food they had brought along to the hurricane shelter at Fox Trail Elementary School in Davie.

"I like it here,'' he said. "They treat you nice. Everyone is nice. This is the third time we've been here. Plus, it's more safe here.''

The Sanmiguels are among the many people seeking shelter another time at Fox Trail, where more than 100 people had checked in by 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Overall, there were 700 people at county shelters as of 4:30 p.m.

Only 20 people had checked into Park Lakes Elementary in Fort Lauderdale by 3 p.m.

"The problem is, it's sunshine. There's no wind. It's Sunday. Football games are going on,'' said Ted Cudmick, manager of Park Lakes' shelter.

"It's tough to leave your home right now and go to a shelter,'' he continued. "But if the weather turns demonic and the football games end, they'll say to their families, `Ok, let's go to the shelter.' Then there will be a line, but we're ready for that line.''

There was no line at Fox Trail, just a steady stream of people seeking shelter from the impending storm.

"We have 80 percent repeats,'' said Christine Pardo, the Red Cross volunteer who manages the Davie shelter. "There are a couple of new faces. The groups are getting better because the repeats are bringing their friends."

Among shelter first-timers was Suzanne Sargeant of Cooper City, who canceled a hotel reservation to come to the shelter.

"I just didn't want to be alone,'' she said.

Sargeant had spent previous hurricanes at a hotel but felt isolated there. "I wanted the friendship and a different atmosphere.''

She had passed the school many times as she prepared for Hurricane Wilma and stopped by Sunday morning before it opened. Outside waiting was repeat visitor Elaine Seymour, who told her, "You'll make a gang of friends here.''

She also talked with Pardo, who told her how safe the shelter was, able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, with sheriff's deputies on patrol and a nurse on staff.

That convinced her to cancel the hotel room, although the hotel still will charge her credit card $134 plus tax, up from $102 during Hurricane Katrina.

Seymour was at Fox Trail for last year's hurricanes.

"I still keep in touch with a lot of people I met here the last time,'' she said.

But not everyone was there for the camaraderie.

"We're here because of the generators,'' said Dorothy Hernandez, who came to Fox Trail with her husband Jose and their daughter, who suffers from asthma. "The neighbors' generators blow the exhaust into our house. The government needs to lay laws down. The machinery is working but it's killing the neighbors.''

But the Sanmiguels were content at the Fox Trail shelter.

They sat at home during Katrina but after seeing the damage she did, they decided to err on the side of caution.

"What happened in New Orleans,'' said Ines Sanmiguel, "makes me so scared.''

Gregory Lewis can be reached at glewis@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4203